barefoot wrote:So, I coast if I'm rolling faster than about 63km/h. You still want to pedal at 73km/h. I'm not in _that_ much of a hurry... I'll just tuck and let gravity do the work.

Hmmmm...

Rule #23// Tuck only after reaching Escape Velocity.You may only employ the aerodynamic tuck after you have spun out your 53 x 11; the tuck is to be engaged only when your legs can no longer keep up. Your legs make you go fast, and trying to keep your fat ass out of the wind only serves to keep you from slowing down once you reach escape velocity. Thus, the tuck is only to be employed to prevent you slowing down when your legs have wrung the top end out of your block. Tucking prematurely while descending is the antithesis of Casually Deliberate. For more on riding fast downhill see Rule #64 and Rule #85.

Alternately... I can coast while sucking the wheel of someone who is trying to spin out their 53:11, then come around when the road gets level and take the sprint points

Nah, I always intended to fit either a 53:12 or 50:11, but randomly ended up with 50:12. Probably due to my own incompetence at the online shopping thing, or maybe because the bits I bought were about 32c cheaper than the bits I wanted and I'm a tightwad. Surprisingly, the 50:12 has been adequate, and I've never really wished for a taller gear.

Smithstreet wrote:Your legs make you go fast, and trying to keep your fat ass out of the wind only serves to keep you from slowing down once you reach escape velocity.

*

Hmm.....

Try a test one day on a steep descent. 7-10% btw, not some 3% dawdle. When you are spinning along easily in your 53x11, on the drops. Try pushing it harder to get a speed increase, and watch the speedo result. You might get 2-3kmh boost, 5kmh if you're lucky. At speeds of <70kmh the wind is the killer, saps most of your pedal efforts. Do the same run and then go into the tuck, and watch the speed ramp up. 10-15kmh increase is quite feasible, depending on the gradient and prevailing wind.

If a tuck was so nasty and against the rules, pray tell why the TdF riders do it so readily??

barefoot wrote:Alternately... I can coast while sucking the wheel of someone who is trying to spin out their 53:11, then come around when the road gets level and take the sprint points

tim

you are not going to be coasting on those segments. It is normally carnage with people dropping wheels and getting spat out the back. There are no triples . Not saying it can't be done but I've seen none.

If 'The_Eggman' were a novice, then a triple would be a good idea. But it's probably not necessary. A 30 or 32T cog should do the job.

My all-around road bike has a 50-39-30 triple and I like it just fine. I don't need a higher gear. A triple does give you a lot of options and gradual changes in gearing. HOWEVER, I could easily get a similar range of gears with a compact double and 30T cog.

My other road bike has a 53-11 top gear and I simply don't have the legs to use it. Whatever you do, don't try to please the cycling style police or you'll be stuck with 55-42 chainsets and 11-21 cassettes.

The company I work for over summer has triples and compacts as rental bikes... triples definitely get looked down at, but then you often hear the inevitable " I wish I had a triple " 90 minutes into a Hors Cat climb .I like my 36/34 combo on big climbs as I have hardly ever touched the 34 but it's nice to have it there .

I did a climb today and deliberately didn't use the 30/34 though we did do a lot in the 30/30. This was mostly so that my stoker could have confidence that he could do it again next week when he approaches the same climb after a 3 hour warm up.

After that we found one of il padrone's 3% dawdles and wound up the 55/11 to claim a couple of top 10's on Strava. Pretty sure there are no faster E graders on that stretch of road.

Next roadie may be coming from Europe, so a triple is a serious option on the new steed.

I'm also trying to do the three peaks (http://www.backoffalls.blogspot.com.au/) next year and was striving to improve my climbing. I already have a compact crankset and a 12-28. Will a triple make a massive difference to my capacity to climb steep stuff? I do tend to blow up when it get above 11% for more than a very short burst, so Hotham and the Back of Falls scare me. Hopefully my climbing gets better over the year, and the weight goes south. Nonetheless, is a triple a good idea for really steep stuff?

FWIW, have done loads of 200km+ rides (mostly audax - not the ones mentioned by you though).

My first two roadies had triples, then my now dedicated audax/endurance bike came with 53/39, I went compact 50/34 and now super compact 46/30 13-29 (campy - already had a spare 13-29, but will probably get 12-30 next time). There is a local audax ride with a ~750M 20% climb which I have ridden with 30/25, 39/29, 34/29 and 30/29. Guess which one was easier...?

Yes, makes a difference to climbing. Less muscle fatigue, which leaves more for the flats . I can climb 20% seated, but feeling like doing a wheely the whole time , so generally stand for a bit too.

Can't sprint with 46/13, but I can't sprint at the end of a 200km+ ride anyway. If you can sprint at the end of 3 peaks <we're not worthy> and I'd be surprised that you are asking this question.

My fastest 200km nominal (actually 210km IIRC) was done with the super compact - FWIW, 27km/h, 8:15 elapsed (this is what counts for audax), ~2500M climbing and ~70% solo. For most mortals, like my freddly self, the top gears clearly do not matter so much for long endurance rides.

My choice would be to get a superduperalpine - super compact (46/30 Sugino OX601D - uses a standard shimano HT2 BB, so you should be able to swap out and drop the FD a few mm - no need to cut the cable or anything) and go a 12-30 or 12-32 cassette. Probably no need to get anything else... longer rear derailleur or just don't cross chain maybe. With a triple you are looking at almost a complete new drive train. You'll cruise up the steep bits with less fatigue. Tuck in and rest on descents. Plenty enough top gears for cruising the flats.

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